Ciphering device



May 11 1926.

A. SCHERBIUS' CIPHERING DEVICE 7 Filed Dec. 7. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FOR DECODING May 11 1926. 7 1,584,660.

A. SCHERBIUS CIPHERING DEVICE Filed Dec. 7. 1922 2 Shets-She et 2 will, for instance,

W be indicated It is preferab Patented May 11, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrlca.

ARTHUR scimmarus, or nnnnm-wmnnnsnonr, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR ro 'rnn NAAMLOOZE vnmro'rscinr meamnnsnnnnnu sncumras," or msrnnnm.

NETHERLANDS.

cirnname nnvrcn.

Application m December 7, 1922; Serial no. 605,473.

This invention relates to devices for ciphering or coding a clear text and for decipher-ing or decoding the ciphered text. 'Such devicesusually consist of-ke'ys and in- 6 dicati'ng points of the same number as there are signs which are to be ciphered and of a simllarnumber of interchangeable connecting elements between the keys and indicating points. For deciphering, the con- 10 necting elements are reversed or rearranged. Further, provisions are made that the intcrcliangin of the connectin elements starting from t e same point ta es place in exactly the same succession and at the same distances as in the ci'phering.

According to the resent invention, a ciphering device of thls type has a smaller number of indicating points than signs to be ciphered. In order to render this reduc- 2 tion of indicating points possible, the signs of the clear text are subdivided into several rows and the keys for each sign of each row are connected by the same connecting element with the same indicating point, so that 2 this indicating point is excited indiiferently in whatever row the sign to be ciphered stands. In order to render discernible in the ciphered text the row to which the ciphered sign belongs, separate keys are arranged in one of these rows to be used to indicate changes .from one row to another. These keys are also connected with indicating points by interchangeable intermediary elements, for which, however, no corresponding, keys are provided in the other rows.

. Fen these changing keys, signs must also be provided in the ciphered text. As ciphering signs for instance, the small letters'of the alphabet and numerals will be preferably 4 used, and as changing signs, such letters as need not be'used in the alphabet, for instance 6 6 and ('5. These shift marks or signs are arranged on special keys. The number of the changing or shift keys can be selected atonly one changing key may be used ifonly two rows ofsigns are in the clear text, so-that each time a change is made- I characters in the other row,- the change may b the changing or shift-key.

e to provide as-many shift marks as there are rows of signs, in order to sign. As the changing signs are connecte from the characters in one row to the clearly indicate to which row the signs belong which are directly after a changing a with the indicating points by means of the interchangeable connecting elements in the same manner as all of the other signs, they are also ciphered and no longer recognizable 1n the ciphered text as changing si s. 60

Two forms of the invention are ibwn by way of example on the accompanying draw-.

. ing, wherein:

Figsrl and 2 show a switch diagram for a very simple ciphermg apparatus explanatory of the diagram shown in Fig. 3. Fi s. 1 and 2 having but one changing sign, t 0 sign senders bein formed by keys, each of which is provide with a number and a letter, while the indicating signals or points 7 are illustratcdby incandescent lamps, each illuminating a number and a letter. 7

Fig. 3 on the contrary, shows a ciphering machine with three changin signs, which is constructed in the form 0% a typewriting machine, and in which the intereha e of the conductors between the keys an the writing elements is constantly modified irregularly during the ciphering- In Figures 1 and 2, a ciphering device is diagrammatically shownwhich comprises two rows each of nine clear text signs and one reversing sign. In the embodiments in Figs. 1 to 3, keys foronly a art'of the 'al-.' phabet are represented whil d punctuation and spacing keys are omitted. It will be evi-.

dent that a com lete alphabet and keys for unctuation an spacing will be provided in the device when n use. It is to be understood, however, that the machine diagrammatically illustrated by these figures will actual practice have say three rows of keys,

each. carrying one or more signs. Fig. 1' shows the parts in position for cipher-mg,

while Fig. 2 shows the same machine in position for deciphering. In these figures, 11 I designates the contact keys carrying the let-, ters a to 13 inclusive and the numerals 1 to 9 inclusive. 12 are incandescent lamps marked withthe same letters a to i and numerals 1 to 9' toaccord? withlthe marking'on the keys. Directly behind' the contact key 11, incandescent lamps 13 are arranged, I and these lamps are marked with signs corresponding 'to the signs of the contact keys.

' lighting of the red lamp one of the contacts 17.

The key 14 is the one used to indicate a change in the ciphered text, for instance from letters to numerals and vice versa. This key is niarked with the mounted in series with an incandescent lamp 15, which is preferably colored red to distinguish the same from the other lamps 13.. A lamp in the row 12 corresponding with the key j is also marked with the letter 7'. At the side of this lamp a red lamp '19 is arranged in such manner that by a switch 20 the lamps j and 19 can be cut into or out of the circuit. The switch 20 serves to connect thecircuit at this point with either the lamp 7' or the lamp 19, the purpose being, on deciphering, to indicate that the signs fol lowing the actuation of the lamp 19, belong to a different class or species. For instance, if the signs previous to red lamp 19 were letters, then the operator will be notified that the Between the lamps 12 and the contacts 11,

' contact rows 16 and 17 are arranged, and

these contact rows are connected with one another in an irregular manner, so that each of the contacts 16 is connected with The wiring between the rows'of contacts is indicated by lines. The connected contacts of the two rows are marked with the same figures to facilitate reading the drawing, and the manner of connection between the contacts 16 and 17 forms the ciphering key.

'As one pole of the contact keys 11 and one pole of the incandescent lamps 12 are under volta e, one of the "lamps in row 13 lamps in row 12 will light up upon the depression of either of the keys-11. Tohexplainh the connezct-iorzl, the method) of ci eringt esi sa, ,0, ,1',2,3,4,e, ,g will be hereina f 't er described. In'order to cipher or code the first four letters of this succession of signs, the keys of row 11 corresponding to these signs are successively dellamps e,

whereby in row 12 the incandescent 0, j and b will be successively illuminated. As the numeral 1 follows after (1, the changing key 7' is depressed so that the change from letters to numerals will be indicated in the row 12 by the illumination of-the'lamp marked f. Then the depression of the keys '11 marked 1, 2, 3 and 4, 'cause the'illumination of the'lamps bearing the pressed,

letters e,- c, j and b. As a letter'foll-o-ws afterthe numeral 4,'another changing sign is necessary, so that key j is depressed again to li 'htupthe lamp; in the row 12. h Then the epression of i the ters' c, f, g willproduce on the indicating lamps 12, the successive illumination of the lamps bearingztheletters It, a and d. Thus 7 '6, 739,

the clear text; a; b; '0', transfolim fi theflipheled text .7,

letter j and isv the lighting of the' signs following the 19 are numbers.

eys 11 bearing the let-- e, i, I, f, k, a, a. It will be noted that simultaneously with the illumination of the lamps in row 12, the lamps in row 13 are lighted up to facilitate the observation of the operation of the apparatus. I

The clear text thus ciphered may be deciphered by the same machine by simply rearranging orreversing. the contacts 16 and 17. To facilitate this these contacts are preferably arranged on a cylinder and for connections of the contacts with the lamps s 11-14, while the 12 and 13' when the cylinder carrying the" contacts is rotated 180 for the purpose of deciphering. The arrangement of the contacts 16 and 17 for deciphering purposes may also be understood from Fig. 1 when it is considered that the heavy wirin between vthe contacts l6'and 17 is turner? up side down so that the contacts 17 occupy the upper position while the contacts 16 occupy the lower position.

For deciphering, the switch 20 should be shifted from the lamp j of row 12 to the lamp 19. If now theletters e, c, y, b of the ciphered text are depressed with the keys 11 carrying the same, the letters a, b, c, (i will successlvely'app'ear in the row 12 of incandescent lamps. If the contact keyf is then de ressed, the red lamp 19 willlight' up and indicate to the observer that the following signs are numerals. Then if the letters e, c, j, b of the keys 11 are successively depressed, light up successively. It is obvious that on deciphering, the lamp 19 is illuminated, forletters as wellas for numbers. If letters are shown first, it is obvious, by the illumination of lamp 19 that numerals will follow and vice versa. At the depression of the key 7 during deciphering, the lamp 19 will light up again indicating the transition from the be directly connected the lamps 1, 2, 3, 4 of row 12 will numerals to the letters, and whenthe contact ciphering has been translated into the clear text.

' The machine diagrammatically illustratk ed in Fig. 3, employs the same principle as thatfdescribed in connection with Figs. 1 and 2, but the construction of the'apparatus in Fig. 3 is difl'erent'fromthe construction keys h, a, d are depressedthe incandescent lamps e, f, 9 will light up, showing that the designates several of the contact keys of a typewriter for instance, of. which six are marked, each with three signs of the clear text, three other keys being marked with the changing signs d and The stems 22 of the keys are guided in a U-shaped support 23 and bear .upon the upper contact springs 1 ,carryinga fixed arm 29 adapted to be moved between the abutments 30 and rangement is as opposite contacts on .of the left 31 in order to shift'thecylinder 26 and it's sectors27 into difierent positions. 32, 33 and 34 designate a device designed to interchange the electric connections between the striking keys and indicating points or typing characters. It consists of cylinders of insulating material mounted upon an axle 35. The cylinders 32 are stationary, the cylinders 33 are rotatable, and the cylinder 34 is nonrotatable but axially movable along the shaft 35. Each of the cylinders 33 has upon its opposite faces nine contacts arranged in a circle. These contacts are connected with each other in such manner that one contact on one side is always connected with one contact on the other side,.and the arconfused as possible to predecoding by unauthorized vent coding or persons. The-cylinders 33 are each provided with toothed crowns by means of which they may be revolved around the. axle'35. The c linder 34's cbnstructed' similar'to the cylin ers 33 but with the difference that the itstwo end faces are connected with one another in a regular manner and-that the said cylinder is axially movable along the axle 35 With the aid of a lever 36 andof a spring 37, cylinder 34 presses the cylinders 33 against the ri ht side hand stationary cylin er 32. The cylinder 34 can, however, be pressed. by hand in opposition to the tension of the spring, against the ri ht cylinder 32. 38 designates three. toothed wheels'in gear with the toothed crowns upon the cylinders 33. The wheels 38 are keyed upon the'shaft 39 and their teeth are arranged as irregularly possible, so that by a rotation of "shaft 39, the .severalcylinders 33 are turned different degrees about the axis of the shaft 35: A transfer'wheel-40 is either arranged directly upon the shaft 39 or is connected to said shaft by a driving gear.39,"'and a pawl 41 engages with the teeth ofthe'transfer wheel. This pawl ispivotally mounted upon an armature 42, which is pulled by; v

the signs marked at' members of the contacts spring 43 against. a stop 44. The armature may be raised by a relay 45, so that the pawl comes into engagement with the diiferent teeth of the wheel 40- for turning the latter.

46 designates the platen of a typewriting device, and this platen is oscillatably mounted. by means of two levers 47 pivoted at 48. The pivots 48 are carried by lever arms 49 which rotate about the fixed pivots 50. One of these lever arms has at its outer end three large teeth 51 ofsoft iron arranged opposite to threerelays 52,

53 and 54. r 55 designates a blade spring which has a nose 56 adapted to engage with one or the other ofthe three notches of the lever 49, so that this lever may be retained in any one of three positions.

-57 isa solenoid coil having a movable core 58 connected by a link 59 with the lever 47 of the platen. 60 is a type cylinder which has upon its circumference three rows of signs, the upper row corresponding with the top upon the first six keys -21 of the typewriter, the middle row corresponding to theimiddle row of signs upon the same keys of the typewriter, and

the lower row corresponding with the lower row of signs .upon the same keys of the typewriter. The drum 60 is keyed upon the shaft 61. Said shaft may be revolved at uniform speed by any suitable motor, not shown on the drawing. Mounted on and turning with the shaft 61 is a tube 62 of conducting material which is insulated from the shaft and carries a brush cpllector 63, which turns with the tube. -A stationary brush 64 slidably engages the other end of the tube. The outer end of the brush collector 63 slides upon the;

inner surface of a stationarycollector composed of'nine sectors 65 which .areinsulated from one another and are held together by an insulating ring 66.. 67 is.a

switches 24are connected with one pole of The lower nine 24' are connected with nine brush collectors 68 forming one row of contacts cooperating with the cylinder 26. The brush collectors 69 of this cylinder are connected with the nine contacts of the left hand interchanging cylinder 32. The brush collectors 70 are connected with the nine sectors 65 of the collector andcertaiin of thesebrushcollectors are also con-' nected with, the-right hand interchanging cylinder, 32. Regarding the. brushcollectors 71, th e'csix situated toward the left are each connected withtwo-opposite contact pins of cylinder 34. The

a source of current 25.

cylinder with "three sectors 72 extending approxlmately three right hand brush collectors 71 are connected with the brush collectors 75 of the'cylinder' 67. The brushes .74 are connected withthree airs of contacts 'of cylinder 34, and the brushes 73 are each connected with a respective one of the magnet coils 52, 53 and 54. The other three terminals of thesemagnet coils are connected. with the wire 72 to which the brush collector is also connected across the magnet coil 57."The lead 72 is guided across the coils of the relay 45 to the other pole of'the source of current 25, and the relay 45 may be short circuited by means of a switch 76.

The operation of the apparatus shown in Fig. '3 is asfollows:

' In the cipheringor coding, the lever 29 of the reversing cylinder 26, the axiallymovable cylinder 34, the feeding cylinder 67 and the switch 76 are in the positions shown. f now for instance the key marked with a, g, 1', is depressed, the current from the source of current 25 flows across the left hand end contact 24, the left hand brush collector 68, one of these'ctors 27 to the left hand end/brush collectors '71. From there the current 'flows to 'the axially movable changing or reversing cylinder. 34 and then through the three revoluble' cylinders 33 to the left hand cylinder 32, and from there to the left hand end brush collector 69,

I across the uppermost'left hand end sector 27 to the left hand end. contact'brush 70 and from there-to one of thesectors .65 ofthe cuitflis closed. The currentcontinues to' 64, the mag:

corresponds to the determined sector in collector. If now the contact springl 63 fixed .upon the. continuously rotating s aft 61 comes in contact'with this sector, the cirflow across the contact brush net coil 57, the relay coils 45 and back to the sourCe...0f current 25. --The core 58.of

the magnet is thus pulled into the coil 57 and the platen 46 carrying the paper is instantaneously thrown against the type drum 60, the letter of the cylinder whirh 5 being thus typed. At the same time the the relay. 45 so with the next folthe depressed key is released, the coil 45 I of :the relay-becomes deenergized, so-that against the stop the armature 42Lispulled by the spring 43 44 and consequently the v cylinders33 are turned. Owing to the different arrangement of the teethupon the wheels BS-the. interchanging cylinders 33 execute movements of'difi'erent amplitudes, which "mustQbe calculated so that. the contacts of adjacent cylinders stand always exactlyoppgsite one another. After the. typing of'geah, letter a new interchanging a phabetl 'is[therefore adjusted. The course [of i the current remains the same ifareversing or changing key is depressed. These changin keys are the three right hand ones of t e keys 21. Merely the direction of the current between the brushes 71 and the interchanging cylinder 34 varies,

because the current first flows across the cylinder 67. On pressure of a changing key, the current flows as follows: batt/e 25, contact 24, brush 68, contact 27, brush '71,

through the conductor 75, contact member magnet 45 and" again backto the battery 25;

As an example, suppose in starting the operator depresses the right hand changing key to cause a certain character to be typed.

This 1n the ciphered text will informthereceiver that all characters typed and following this changing sign will relate for instance to the upper row of characters on the SIX left hand keys 21, 'until say, the

middle one of the changing keys is depressed, to type the second changmgsign,

and the receiver will thus be informed that t ped characters following this second 0nd row of keys 21 -etc.

In order to decipher or decode with this apparatus, the wheels 33 must be returned to the sameposition which they occupy when the message was ciphered or coded, and the lever 29 it comes in contact with the stop 31. The cylinder. 67 must be also brought into such a position that the rows of brushes 73 and 74 arein electrical connection. The cylinders 33 may be brought to their original characters on the six left hand to brush 69, over has to be reversed or moved sothat position for decoding purposes by turning back the shaft 39' until a determined initial position of-the disks'is reached, and this may be facilitated placing marks or in,-

b dications 100 on the disks and bringing these indications-into alignment by turning the disks 33. f

In decoding the apparatus functions as follows.

If for instance the letter a from the a ciphered text is depressed; (which' might have been typed in consequence of. the depression of the changing or reversing'key a, .the current from the source. of current 25 takes the following course. Across the contact 24, the brush 68 situated at the left hand end of the cylinder 26 tothe left hand 'end brush 69,- and-from there to the left hand stationary cylinder 32, through the interchanging cylinders 33, the non-rotat-,

able cylinder 34 to the middle brush 74 of the cylinder 67 and from the central one of 95 c anging sign will correspond with the secthe three brushes'73 across the magnet coil 7 53 and relay 45 back to the source of current, Consequently the magnet-53 attracts the middle tooth 51 of the lever 49 which signs are typed by the middle row of type on the drum 60. If letters are depressed in the ciphered text which correspond not to reversing or chang'ing'signs, but to signs ofthe clear text, the operation is exactly as at the deciphering with the only difference that the interchanging cylinders 33 are traversed in opposite direction by current flowing from the keys to the'typing device.

The letters of' the ciphered text, however,

which have been produced by the. depression of the reversing signs at the typing of the clear text, cause each time a corresponding adjustment of the paper cylinder or platen 46.

- It is not alwaysnecessary to cipher the entire text. The apparatus described per mits clear text to be inserted between the I ci hered text. 7 With this object in view, the c inder 34 is 'pressed'at the ciphering, by

p acing the hand on the lever 36, to cause the cylinder 34 to. contact with the right hand cylinder 32, so that the current flows typing is ho longer across the interchanging cylinders 33, but directly from the keys, across the cylinders 34 and 32 to the point where :the to bev effected. The cylinder. 67,

must furthermore be brought into the same row 73 must therefore be connected with the brush row 7 5," so that at the contact of the interchanging cylinders the magnets 52 to long to 5.4 are' excited, and the platen raised or lowered corres ondingly. The switch 76 must be clos during the typing of the clear text so that the interchanging device is not adjusted during the operation on the clear text but is in position to properly function as soon as the machine is again use for cipherin'g. The clear text inserted in the ciphered text can evidently be also typed at deciphering.- 'With this objectin view the apparatus must be brought in exactly the same position s at the typing of a clear text inserted between the-ciphered text.

From'the foregoing,- it may be seen that the present invention involves a ,ciphering machine, and all the elements in' 'Fig. 3 beone and the same machine. A machine of'this type is located-at. the sending station and an identical one is located at the receiving station. ,The manner in which the ciphered orcoded message is transmitted from the sending to the receiving station is entirely immaterial. It may be transmittedby letter, postal card, telegraph or by 'radio.

authorized deciphering of the ci In transmitting a message by wire U. wii'eless, the three shift or changing signs will,

of course, be such as can be sent by telegraph or wireless.- For instance, we will assume that the middle horizontal row of letters on the type'cylinder contains nine different small letters. If the platen 46 does not shift up and down during coding or cipher ing, it is possible that the message typed will only consist of the nine letters on the second horizontalrow of keys on thedrum Therefore the coded message will con-. sist only of these same nine letters and as the receiver of the message will be familiar with the machine and code he will understand that' three of these letters indicate changin or shift signs. Therefore when the receiver uses an 'identical machine for deciphering, he Willstrike the changing or shift keys at the proper time.

It is, of course, understood that a complete ciphering machine includes all the let ters'of the alphabet, and not as shown on the drawing, only the letters a to 'm which are merely shown so as not to complicate the drawing. Before the ciphering is begun at the sending station and the deciphering begun at the receiving station, the cylinder 33 must be set at a predetermined initial position, and the definite initial position selected is expressly noted at the beginning of the message andtransmitted to the -receiving station, so. that the. machine at the latter station may be adjustedto the sameposition. For this purpose any desired marks may be inscribed or marked on the periphery of the disks or cylinders 33. position as at the deciphering. The brush By the invention it is possible toreduce very'much the number of the si s'used in the ciphered text. Consequent y the unhered text is rendered very difficult. The eciphering with .the aid of the machine, is, however, facilitated considerably, as at the deciphering only one row of signs need be depressed.

In theapparatus shown in Figuresl and 2 the lamps 12 and 19 form visual indicators while in Figure 3"the type letters, for instance, placed on the papers will function as indicators, so for the purpose of claimin thepresent invention I have used the wor indicators in the claims and intend that V I claim z 1. In. a coding and de-coding machine, a

series of contact keys'each bearing one each of one or more sets of characters,-

shift indicating character, indicating "means a shift key for each set of characters and. bearing a 1 having elements corresponding to the sets of characters and shift indicating characters, operating means for the indicating means,

a source of current, a conductor connecting the source ofcurrent the contact keys, a second conductor connecting the 1 means, and a code reversing element interposed in said conductor means for changing the circuits between the contact keys and the indicating means, each of said shift keys being effective tov operate its corresponding 4 shift indicating element.

2. A machine as claimediin claim 1 in which said operating means includes a plurality of contact discs, and means for shift-- ing said discs relatively varying distances each time one of the keys is depressed.

A 'mach-ine as claimed in claim 1 in which said operating means includes a rotatable type drum, a circular series of contacts arranged adjacent the drum and electricall connected keys, a 'brush rotatable with t 1e drum and adapted to slide over the contacts for completing a circuit throughout one of the contacts when a key is depressed,

a platen adapted to carry paper-to be typed, and means electrically connected to said brush for shifting the platen toward the type drum eachtime a key is depressed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

- ARTHUR SCHERBIUS. 

